ORIGIN OF LOWEST ORGANISMS. 61 



over, as I venture to think, in accordance with what 

 might have been anticipated a priori. Bacteria seem 

 to be composed of homogeneous living matter, and 

 any gemmule, however minute, could only be a 

 portion of such living matter, endowed with similar 

 properties. 



Extent to which boiled Fermentable Fht-ids may be pre- 

 served in Vessels with Bent Necks, or in those whose 

 Necks are guarded by a Plug of Cotton- Wool. 



Having thus satisfied ourselves as to the truth of 

 the conclusion that Bacteria are killed when the fluid 

 containing them is boiled (at 212 R), we are in a posi- 

 tion to proceed with the inquiry as to the evidence 

 which exists in respect to the statements made by 

 M. Pasteur, Professor Huxley, and others, that ferment- 

 able fluids which have been boiled, will not undergo 

 fermentation, either in vessels whose necks have been 

 many times bent, or in those into whose necks a 

 plug of cotton-wool has been inserted during the 

 ebullition of their contained fluid. Organisms are 

 not found in such cases, they say, because the 

 " germs " from which the low organisms of infusions 

 are usually produced, are arrested either in the 

 flexures of the tube or in the cotton-wool. As I have 

 before stated, however, it is obvious that if this 

 explanation be the correct one, the preservation 

 should be equally well marked in all cases quite 

 irrespectively of the amount of albumenoid or other 



